Aramco Europe inspires next generation of innovators as STEM program expands into new markets
Citizenship program invests in teacher development, student competitions, and hackathons, from Manchester to Gdańsk
- Citizenship initiatives are built on the belief that STEM underpins innovation
- Continuous professional development of teachers is critical to their retention in profession
- Internships help students apply STEM skills to real world workplace challenges
Aramco Europe has made STEM education a central pillar of its citizenship program, investing in teacher development, student competitions, and global initiatives that inspire innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving at different stages of learning.
In 2025, the Company’s citizenship program has scaled new heights, with programs in Poland and Italy joining other initiatives in the UK and the Netherlands, encompassing teacher training, student hackathons, internships, and international competitions.
The program is built on the belief that STEM education is essential to the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills across multiple sectors and industries.
By focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the Company seeks to equip young people with the core skills that drive innovation. Helping teachers make these subjects more appealing to young people is also an important part of the process.
Supporting science teachers in the UK
One of the most prominent examples of such teacher support is Aramco Europe’s collaboration with the University of Manchester’s Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub (SEERIH). The program focuses on professional development for teachers, equipping them with new methods to make science and engineering more engaging.
The University of Manchester's Prof. Lynne Bianchi stresses the importance of early engagement with science for school children. Aramco Europe collaborates with the university on STEM-focused event.
“There’s a whole body of research around Science Capital which clearly indicates that if people don’t identify with science by the ages of 9 or10, then they are unlikely to change these views at age 14 when making their subject choices. When we work with Aramco, they really get that,” she says.
By investing in teacher training, the Co mpany ensures that STEM education is accessible across diverse communities. These initiatives highlight the Company’s broader efforts to empower educators and inspire the next generation of innovators.
Aramco Europe supports Devoxx4Kids Netherlands, which runs workshops for 8 to 14-year-olds, designed around fun tasks from coding to robotics. The organisation recently held a workshop at company headquarters in The Hague.
Playful enquiry
Beyond the classroom, Aramco Europe has promoted STEM through family-focused events, hackathons and conferences.
The Company recently welcomed the children of employees to its Hague headquarters for a fun day of coding in collaboration with Devoxx4Kids Netherlands, a non-profit organization founded with the goal of demystifying computer science for children by focusing on playful learning.
Devoxx4Kids Netherlands Chairman, Eddy Vos, said: “It was especially rewarding to see how the young people were able to work within teams to solve the challenges they were set while developing their coding skills in the process.”
Encouraging such playful curiosity is a theme that runs through many of the STEM-focused projects supported by Aramco Europe, including the annual Science Picnic in Poland, started in X and now in its fourth year.
Combining education with entertainment has been effective across many of Aramco Europe’s local community programs, with the Science Picnic emerging as one of the most successful examples of this approach to student and parental engagement with science.
About 5,000 visitors participated in the 2025 Fahrenheit Science Picnic in Gdańsk, which was hosted by Fahrenheit Union of Universities (FarU) and Hevelianum in the summer.
2025 visitor numbers jumped by almost a quarter on the previous year’s attendance, with the main Science Stage featuring several different shows, performances and interactive experiences. The Science Village included more than 70 tents filled with different attractions, featuring hands-on experiments in biology, chemistry, and physics.
Combining education with entertainment is a key feature of several Aramco Europe-supported STEM programs, including the annual Science Picnic in Poland, which attracts thousands of children and parents each year.
Aramco Europe also collaborated with FarU this year on a conference focusing on the global energy sector to mark World Energy Day on October 22, 2025.
The event was attended by students from around the country and tackled the technological challenges related to the energy transition.
Aramco Europe’s STEM partnerships align with the wider initiatives supported by Aramco at a global level, such as F1 in Schools. The not-for-profit initiative endorsed by Formula 1 challenges students to design and race miniature F1 cars, combining engineering, physics, and teamwork.
Through this partnership, Aramco Europe helps students access scholarships and career opportunities with F1 teams, bridging the gap between education and industry. The initiative not only raises awareness of STEM but also demonstrates how citizenship programs can inspire young people to pursue careers in engineering and technology.
Helping students gain real life work experience where they can put their STEM skills to the test is also an important part of this process. In summer 2025, the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team welcomed their second intake of Aramco interns at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport, where they gained a unique insight into the workings of a successful Formula 1 team. Mechanical engineering student Mohammed Al Mutawa says the experience was challenging in the best way and will have a lasting impact.
“The pace in Formula 1 is unlike anywhere else, and I had to adapt quickly while working on multiple projects in short timeframes,” he says.
Mohammed Al Mutawa participated in the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team internship at Silverstone this summer. The mechanical engineering student has a passion for STEM and is also the President of Manchester Students for the Exploration and Development of Space.
By supporting teachers, inspiring students, and connecting education with industry, Aramco Europe has made STEM education a defining feature of its citizenship program and a major contributor to its broader ambition of making a positive impact in the communities where the Company operates.